Chapter 1687 - 1593: Technological Revolution and Talent Development

Chapter 1687: Chapter 1593: Technological Revolution and Talent Development

A young man in his twenties, standing in the back row with a large forehead, blurted out, "The outer cast iron shell can also serve as a support for the gear shaft, enhancing structural stability and absorbing impact during start-up and stop. This is truly a genius invention!"

Whitney and the others all turned to glance at him—does the Regent King really need your evaluation as a technician assistant?

Joseph looked at the young technician with interest, "You are correct. I don’t believe I’ve met you before?"

To notice the core advantage of the gearbox in just a few seconds shows that this young man’s foundation in mechanics is very solid.

Whitney quickly introduced, "Your Highness, his name is Philip Henry de Girard, and he is Mr. Rivaz’s assistant."

Girard, quite "naturally familiar", stepped forward and graciously greeted Joseph, "Your Highness, I just graduated not long ago, but I’m sure you’ll remember me in the future because of some of my inventions."

Rivaz was startled by his assistant’s arrogance, pulling him back a little, then desperately tried to recover the Regent’s good impression: "Your Highness, actually, Philip is very talented. Some of the innovations in the hierarchical variable-speed transmission here are from him.

"Oh, and the shock-absorbing pad of the cutting frame is also his invention."

"It was invented by me and Tener together," Girard leaned forward and added.

"Tener is?"

"A technician sent from the Royal Second Chemical Factory." Whitney glared at Girard, meaning for him to stop talking so much, then gestured to the tall young man behind, "Tener brought us this marvelous optimized rubber. Now, the seal for the steam engines and the vibration damping devices for lathes are extensively using this new material, significantly improving precision."

Previously, when the piston rod of a steam engine passed through the cylinder head, there would be steam leakage. Neither Watt nor Murdock could use anything other than oil-soaked leather and hemp to seal it.

This filling material wore out very quickly and aged easily, requiring frequent tightening of the compression cap to maintain its seal. Even so, high-pressure steam engines were still prone to leaks, causing the workshop to be frequently shrouded in mist.

The vulcanized rubber packing ring perfectly solved this problem. The rubber’s elasticity, wear resistance, and resistance to steam permeation gave it a lifespan tenfold greater than that of leather and hemp.

Pipes gaskets, valve flanges, and similar components extensively used vulcanized rubber parts as well.

This alone greatly enhanced the stability of the steam engine, and the maintenance interval was extended by dozens of hours.

The only downside was the high price of vulcanized rubber.

The damping equipment invented by Girard and Tener for the machine tools was relatively simple, just placing rubber pads in appropriate locations. Of course, it requires a thorough understanding of mechanics to complete this.

Joseph complimented the two, and afterward, he and Whitney briefly discussed the development issues of the gearbox, leaving the Sky Axis System workshop a little after 2 PM.

He glanced back at the massive metal shaft behind him, contemplating its industrial applications.

The steam engine is certainly the biggest beneficiary. The airtightness of the cylinder and cylinder liner will advance by a magnitude, and the machining precision of components like pistons, piston rods, crankshafts, and crossheads will also increase.

In the future, French-made steam engines will inevitably lead in power and reliability, thus monopolizing the entire European mid-to-high-end steam engine market.

Next is the train industry. The precision of components such as wheel bands, axles, connecting rods, and turnout parts will all advance significantly, combined with the application of vulcanized rubber, triggering a technological revolution in the railway system.

Hmm, it seems the entire railway system hasn’t been around for long either.

In the future, a high-low pairing model can be implemented, with close allies of France using the new generation railway system, while other countries can only lay down the old-fashioned railways.

Most important of all is the military industry.

The improvement in firearms performance, increase in component standardization, and the possibility to attempt some projects that were previously unfeasible due to processing limitations.

For example, breechloader guns.

With the support of the new generation of precision machinery, airtightness is likely to be guaranteed.

Although fixed ammunition cannot be manufactured due to the need for complex stamping equipment for the casings, breechloader guns using cardboard cartridges can still outperform all firearms of this era.

For example, the famous Dreiser M1841 Rifle or the improved French Chassepot Rifle, Joseph still remembers their basic design principles.

It seems the French Army is destined to continue on the lonely path of being "invincible" for a long time.

Moreover, the Sky Axis System developed by Whitney and others has another significant advantage, in that the Sky Axis can simultaneously connect up to four boring machines, milling machines, and other equipment under the drive of a high-power steam engine.

Drilling platforms, thread machines, grinders, and the like can reach up to six machines.

This results in an astonishingly high processing efficiency.

When Joseph reached the steam railcar, he turned back to Whitney and said, "You and your team have created a remarkable invention. Please accelerate its refinement and report any needs directly to me."

"Thank you for your support," Whitney quickly bowed, "Currently, with adequate funding, we will definitely..."

He had only said halfway when Girard’s voice came from behind him: "Your Highness, though it might sound abrupt, could you help Mr. Tener with his doctoral entrance quota? He is very knowledgeable, having achieved all ’excellent’ grades in the University of Paris admission assessment..."

Whitney glared at him and said in a low voice, "The Regent has no time for your issues. Stand down."

Joseph asked somewhat puzzled, "If the grades are excellent, why can’t he be admitted?"

"Uh, you know, the competition is very fierce, and the spots are limited," Girard looked at Tener, "Also, Mr. Tener doesn’t have much money, so his impression with the examiners isn’t the best."

Joseph frowned, "Are you saying some examiners accept bribes?"

In France, universities did not have a PhD training system six years ago, and all PhDs conducted their own research after graduating from university, obtaining their degree after publishing papers and passing a doctoral defense [Note 1].

The annual increase in science and engineering doctorates could be counted on one hand. There were somewhat more in law and literature, with about a dozen to twenty people.

Thus, Joseph introduced the doctoral advisor system from later eras to the French University, where renowned scholars guide doctoral students to improve the efficiency of talent cultivation.

Last year, the number of people who received a Doctorate in Science and Engineering degree in all of France had increased to 37.

This is France’s top talent training mechanism, and someone dares to engage in corruption—are they thinking that Mala is too idle lately?

Girard hurriedly waved his hands, "No examiners accepted bribes, Your Highness. It’s just that doctoral advisors also hope their students can afford experimental equipment, don’t they?"

[Note 1]: In the early 19th century, French universities did not have the Master’s degree. After graduating with a licence (translated as either a bachelor’s or a licentiate degree), one could apply for a PhD. At that time, universities across Europe also followed a two-degree system.